Extra Bases: Thursday’s stars and Top 25 recap

THURSDAY’S STARS:

1. Sam Colca, No. 23 Fair Lawn — After the 23rd-ranked Cutters relinquished a 2-0 lead in the top of the seventh when West Milford’s Mackenzie Porch blasted a game-tying two-run home run, Colca ended the 10-inning marathon with a walkoff game-winning single to score Danielle Burke from third base with two outs and two strikes, as the Cutters prevailed, 3-2, to move to 2-0 on the season. Fair Lawn took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Sam Dypko and winning pitcher Emily Klion each supplied one RBI.

2. River Dell (again) – After upsetting No. 7 Ramsey, 7-6, in Tuesday’s season opener, River Dell knocked off its second preseason Top 10 team on Thursday with its 8-2 win over No. 8 Mahwah, fueled by Alexis Krasas and Jordyn Rocca’s two hits and two two RBIs a piece. Kayla Rosado went a perfect 4-for-4 with one RBI, two doubles and two runs scored, while Lauren Brown, Kaitlin Principato and Allie Ostuni all added one RBI. Pitcher Cathy Antonelli earned the win, allowing just two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Hawks, who will certainly find themselves in the next installment of The Record’s Top 25 rankings (comes out Monday), will be in action again on Monday when they travel to Westwood. 

3. Sarah Piening, No. 3 Immaculate Conception (again) – No, third-ranked Immaculate Conception hasn’t played a ranked opponent yet (Wood-Ridge and Wallington), but a no-hitter is a no-hitter… and Piening has started the year with two of them, both of the five-inning variety — both times striking out 14 of the possible 15 outs. On Thursday, it was in a 19-0 win over Wallington. So, that makes her 2-0 now, with 28 strikeouts in 10 innings… with zero hits allowed. Offensively, freshman Alison Moran had another big day at the plate for IC, going 5-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI and Nikki Kupersmith (who I’m pretty sure played for Paramus last year) was also perfect, going 4-for-4 with a double and five RBI. The game I’m looking forward to is on Monday, when the Blue Wolves host Saddle Brook in a huge early-season NJIC Meadowlands division contest. Just like last year, both are again state title contenders.

4 and 5. Ronnie Vergara and Ashley LaGuardia, No. 5 DePaul – All the run production in No. 5 DePaul’s 1-0 win over No. 14 Paramus Catholic on Thursday came in the first inning, when Vergara blasted a solo shot. From there, LaGuardia made it hold up, despite the Spartans making four errors in the shutout win and finishing the game with just two hits offensively (Bella Jachera had the other). The Princeton-bound ace allowed four hits and struck out eight, while Paramus Catholic pitcher Victoria Soohoo also fired a gem in the hard-luck loss, allowing the one run on just two hits with one strikeout.

6. Jenny Schneider, No. 20 Pascack Valley – The 20th-ranked Indians improved to 2-0 on the year after defeating Teaneck, 2-0, with Schneider supplying one RBI early in the game and doing the rest herself, firing a complete-game, two-hit shutout with five strikeouts. Teammate Olivia Beattie also added an early RBI for Pascack Valley, which struck for one run in each of the first two innings.

7. Jenn Tellefsen, No. 21 Lyndhurst — The Lyndhurst pitcher fired a one-hit, 10-strikeout shutout in the Bears’ 12-0 five-inning win over Harrison and also provided a pair of RBI. Teammate Grace Tomko added a pair of RBIs too, as No. 21 Lyndhurst moved to 2-0 on the season.

8. Katie Lelinho, No. 13 Midland Park – Lelinho fired a three-hit, eight-strikeout shutout during Midland Parks 12-0 win over Cresskill and also supplied three RBI at the plate, while teammates Julie Carey and Katie Kontos each added a pair of RBIs. Midland Park rallied for seven runs in the fifth inning, breaking open a close 2-0 game. The Panthers are 2-0 on the year with upcoming games against Bogota and Palisades Park before their big showdown with No. 18 Park Ridge (2-0) on Wednesday.

9. Danielle Laube, No. 12 New Milford – After homering three times and driving in six runs on opening day, the New Milford senior catcher added another home run and three more RBIs as an encore performance during Thursday’s 11-2 win over Ridgefield. She’s now got 4 HR and 9 RBI through two games. Teammate Carly Lesko went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI and Erin Bigger went 1-for-2 with two RBI and three runs scored. No. 12 New Milford has an interesting game on Saturday when it plays host to No. 20 Pascack Valley (2-0).

10. Lindsey Gray, Dumont – The senior southpaw fired a complete game, two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts and no walks as Dumont improved to 2-0 with its 9-0 win over Cliffside Park. In two games (against Westwood and Cliffside Park), both Dumont wins, Gray has yet to allow a run.

11. Ashley Russo, No. 4 Saddle Brook – The Saddle Brook junior broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth with a two-run double to highlight the Falcons’ sixth-run inning. Sophomore Taryn DiGiacomo followed with a two-run double of her own to put No. 4 Saddle Brook up, 5-1. Danielle Archibold, recovering from an illness earlier this week, fired four perfect innings in relief of DiGiacomo to pick up her first win of the season.

12. Tara Spendley, Bergen Tech – Spendley went 5-for-5, including two home runs and a triple, with seven RBI, four runs scored and a steal in Bergen Tech’s 21-0 win over Eastside. Angelica Leventhal and Jaime Greer combined on the five-inning no-hitter.

Other Top 25 action…

No. 1 Immaculate Heart defeats Holy Angels, 7-1 — IHA pitcher Steph Thomas picked up career win No. 84, allowing one run (in the first) on three hits with eight strikeouts. Sophomore 1B Emilie Cieslak doubled and drove in two, while Daniella Ibarra and Reagen Jones each provided one RBI. IHA broke open a 2-1 game with four runs in the fifth.

No. 2 Indian Hills defeats No. 16 Northern Highlands, 7-1 – I was interested to see how Indian Hills coach Joe Leicht (so nice seeing him, Phil Lomenzo and Bob Alexander again) configured his lineup/fielders this season — coming off a Group 3 state championship — after losing catcher Nicole Paiotti and center fielder Kristen Waters to graduation. The replacements? Last year’s right fielder Maddie Levine is now behind the plate and last year’s third baseman Karley Jo Greulich has taken over center field. Sophomore newcomer Gina DeOliveira was penciled in at third base and Kelsey Coughlin started in right field on Thursday. Of course, some of this could change at times this year, but that’s what the Braves rolled with in their season opener. The biggest “addition” I thought was Durando batting fifth. I saw probably over a dozen games last year and can’t remember Durando ever batting. Leicht said she had been hitting well all preseason though and it was “like we traded for a hitter.” And she ripped the ball three times Thursday, finishing 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 7th… to go along with her four-hit, 15-strikeout performance on the mound. Maddie Levine was ripping balls all over the field all game as well (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB) and LF Julia Ferraro (3-for-4, R, RBI) really sparked the offense in the fifth with a deep leadoff double to the fence (eventually led to IH’s first run of the game), after Indian Hills was being shutout by Northern Highlands’ Sarah Gunderson through four innings.

Highlands, by the way, is going to win its fair share of games this year. They’ve got some real nice players, like Gunderson, Katie Duncan, Christine Griffith (made some great plays at SS), Sasha Brown, Megan O’Donnell and Fiona Walley (two hits) and were right there with Indian Hills until the five-run seventh. They actually stranded seven runners on base, too — including the game-tying run at second base in the bottom of the sixth. Gunderson just seemed to run out of gas late facing Indian Hills batters the fourth time around… but for six innings, she was really impressive… and not every team she faces is going to have as stacked a lineup as the Braves do.

No. 6 Ridgewood defeats Hackensack, 10-3 — The Maroons picked up win No. 1 on the year led by pitcher Nicole Parks, who allowed one earned run and struck out 13 and added a pair of doubles and one RBI at the plate. Kelly Skettini doubled and added a pair of RBIs and Lindsay Gray doubled twice with one RBI.

No. 7 Ramsey defeats Westwood, 12-2, in six innings – Senior Nicole Mazzella doubled, homered and drove in three, Abby Triglia and Sarah Novak each doubled and drove in two, Sophie Blasius added a pair of RBIs and Christina Esposito and Brianna Rose each supplied one RBI in Ramsey’s first win of the year. Pitcher Jess Juhlin earned the win, allowing two runs (in the third) on five hits.

No. 9 Pequannock defeats Sussex Tech, 10-6 – Pequannock’s Cassie Coviello drove in three and Rachel Pierson added a pair of RBIs, as the Panthers moved to 2-0 on the year. Kellyann McClain, Melissa Tahan and Stephanie Pomante all drove in one, while pitcher Christina Brizek picked up the win on the mound. Leading 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, Peqaunnock added some insurance runs late with a three-run rally.

No. 10 Old Tappan defeats Tenafly, 8-1 – Freshman pitcher Julie Rodriguez improved to 2-0 on the year, allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and also supplied three RBI at the plate. Teammates Kristen Farrell and Brianna Fleming each added a pair of RBIs for Old Tappan, which struck for three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run double from Farrell to score Nelson and Alexa Smedberg (three runs).

No. 11 Pascack Hills defeats Ridgefield Park, 10-6 – The Cowgirls broke a 6-all tie in the top of the sixth with one run and tacked on three more in the seventh for their first win of the year. Erica Aborlleile and Samantha Miller each drove in three and winning pitcher Robyn Abaunza struck out seven.

No. 18 Park Ridge defeats Waldwick, 10-2 – Angela Rivera went 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored, while teammates Cam Layne and winning pitcher Erica Huber each drove in a pair of runs.

No. 22 Rutherford defeats Elmwood Park, 10-0 – Senior right-hander Amanda Pendleton threw a two-hitter, striking out four and walking none. Senior left fielder Nicole LoGatto went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run single that helped ignite a five-run outburst in the first inning.

No. 24 Demarest defeats Bergenfield, 14-0, in five innings – Brooke Runge (3 RBIs) led a balanced offensive attack which had eight different players record at least one RBI, including Samantha Herbener, Haley Pontillo, Pamela Ng, Vivica Riley, Veronica Corcoran, Victoria Corcoran and Stefani Antoshak — all who had 1 RBI each. Antoshak tossed the five-inning shutout, allowing five hits with six strikeouts.

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